Russia to re-equip its new mobile ICBMs with multiple warheads

Russia's Strategic Missile Forces is set to start re-equipping its single-warhead mobile Topol-M (SS-27) intercontinental ballistic missile systems with multiple re-entry vehicles, its commander said Friday.

MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Strategic Missile Forces is set to start re-equipping its single-warhead mobile Topol-M (SS-27) intercontinental ballistic missile systems with multiple re-entry vehicles, its commander said Friday.

Colonel-General Nikolai Solovtsov said: "We will begin to equip the Topol-M mobile missile system with multiple re-entry vehicles in a few years."

Solovtsov said his forces conducted six ICBM launches in 2006, and 12 launches are scheduled for 2007.

The latest firing was held in November to test the performance characteristics of the RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto) to extend its service life by one year, from 29 to 30 years.

Following numerous test launches, RS-18 missiles are considered to be highly reliable. About 360 silo-based Stiletto missiles are currently deployed in the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, with each missile carrying six warheads.

A total of six ICBM systems of the fourth and fifth generations are on active duty, including four silo-based, RS-18, RS-20B (SS-18 Satan), RS-20V(modified SS-18 Satan), RS-12M2 (Topol-M), and two mobile systems RS-12M (Topol) and RS-12M2 (Topol-M), Solovtsov said.

The Russian military will mark Strategic Missile Forces' Day, a professional holiday, December 17.